5 Controversial YouTubers Who Got Arrested In 2026

Internet fame has a way of catching up with people, and 2026 has been proof of that for several controversial streamers. Some got arrested for chasing clout in the wrong place. Others ended up in handcuffs after situations that went far beyond a viral stunt. 

Top Five YouTubers Who Made Headlines 

1. ChudTheBuilder

Dalton Eatherly, who goes by ChudTheBuilder online, had already built a reputation for racially charged rage-bait content on Kick before things escalated badly in May 2026. On May 9, he was arrested in Nashville after walking out on a $371.55 restaurant bill and allegedly directing racial slurs at staff when asked to stop livestreaming. He resisted arrest the next day and was released on a $5,000 bond.

That bond did not last long. On May 13, Eatherly got into a confrontation outside the Montgomery County Courthouse in Clarksville, Tennessee, with a man identified as Joshua Fox. According to the arrest warrant, Eatherly turned into a "bladed stance," reached for a gun in his jacket, and opened fire, hitting Fox multiple times. Fox survived but needed emergency surgery. Eatherly was charged with attempted murder, employing a firearm during a dangerous felony, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment. His bond was set at $1.25 million. In June 2026, a judge revoked even that bond in his earlier case. His online following grew anyway, and his fundraiser had pulled in over $150,000 by mid-May.

2. Clavicular

Braden Eric Peters, known online as Clavicular, built his following on Kick, TikTok, and his own YouTube channels, LiveWithClav and ClavLooksmax, through "looksmaxxing" content centered on extreme appearance optimization, including bone smashing with a hammer. YouTube terminated his original channel in November 2025 and pulled down both replacement channels again in April 2026 for repeated violations. His legal troubles in 2026 started away from any of that. He was arrested in Fort Lauderdale on March 27 on a misdemeanor battery charge tied to an Osceola County warrant, after a 19-year-old woman accused Peters' girlfriend of battering her at an Airbnb he had rented. Detectives said Peters had allegedly instigated the fight and then posted footage of it online.

The bigger charge came weeks later. On April 29, prosecutors charged Peters along with two others, Andrew Morales, known as "Cuban Tarzan," and Yabdiel Anibal Cotto Torres, with unlawfully discharging a firearm in a public place. The charge stemmed from a March 26 livestream in which the group rode an airboat through the Everglades, came across an alligator, and opened fire on it multiple times. One of them is heard on the video asking "Should we shoot it?" before someone responds, "Is it dead? Let's just test how dead it really is." Florida Fish and Wildlife launched an investigation after the clip went viral. Peters' attorney maintains there is no evidence the animal was harmed and that his client had no criminal intent.

3. DeenTheGreat

Nurideen Shabazz, known online as DeenTheGreat, was arrested in Miami Beach on May 27, 2026, after a woman named Destiny Aleman told police he had tried to grab her phone during an argument on a yacht. According to her statement, Shabazz had warned her against talking to other men at the party, and the confrontation turned physical once she tried to leave.

Surveillance footage from the yacht owner reportedly backed up her account, showing Shabazz attempting to grab the phone while she tried to get away. He was booked on a felony charge of attempted strong-arm robbery and held on a $2,500 bond. His attorney told reporters Shabazz "has had a target on his back for some time now by people wishing to make a name for themselves off of his hard work" and entered a not guilty plea demanding a jury trial. Just the night before the arrest, Shabazz had been livestreaming with Tekashi 6ix9ine.

4. StomperIRL

Kick streamer StomperIRL was filmed being detained by the LAPD on June 18, 2026, after a shooting near a crowded Mexico vs South Korea World Cup watch party in Los Angeles. The incident happened near James M. Wood Boulevard and Normandie Avenue, close to where thousands of fans had gathered for the match. Witnesses reported hearing three gunshots and seeing a man fire into the air.

Footage from fellow streamer Cellfmade's broadcast showed Stomper acting erratically before the shots were heard, with a voice believed to be his asking, "Should I shoot my s*** right now?" Cellfmade is heard replying, "No, you're tripping." Moments later, gunfire rang out and at least one person was hit, with footage showing a man in Mexico gear on the ground with a leg wound before paramedics arrived. Another clip showed Stomper being kicked and beaten by a group of people before officers arrived and placed him in handcuffs while he shouted at the crowd around him.

5. Xenathewitch

Xenathewitch, a partnered Kick streamer with nearly 43,000 followers who also runs her own YouTube channel under the same name, was arrested on March 4, 2026, during a nighttime IRL stream after a strange encounter with a passing police car. Standing at a crosswalk, she joked on stream about hitchhiking with the officers, saying, "I'm gonna hitchhike the cops, f**k it. Wait, can I get arrested? I don't think I can get arrested for hitching a ride with the police, right?.. It might be illegal." She stuck her thumb out anyway.

The police car pulled up moments later. An officer told her she matched the description of someone they were looking for and asked to see her ID before confirming her last name. As soon as she confirmed it, the officers reached for their handcuffs. A visibly stunned Xena said, "Wait, what?! I haven't done anything. Turn the stream off! Press the stop button," before being told she had an active warrant out for her arrest. The reason behind the warrant was never made clear, and there have been no public updates since.